tim in vermont, yes he did. The translation I read called it 'Lady with a lapdog'.

Growing up (in India) we used to get a lot of this literature from people selling them on the roadside for a rupee -- nice glossy high class paper and quality publishing from the soviets. For a voracious reader like me, it was gold and cheap gold. Chekov was my favorite in those days.

Chekhov rocks. "The Cherry Orchard" was the perfect description of a third-generation family business I was involved with a few years ago, and also, potentially the willful ignorance so many maintain in the face of unsustainable government practices today.

Hitchens made a comparable bargain. He was under no illusion that he was immune to all the cigarettes and whiskey he consumed. He chose the intensity of life he believed those substances fueled. He did make it to 62 for all that.

And, yeah, Vanya on 42nd Street is an indirect adaptation by virtue of its play-within-a-movie structure, but I think it captures the spirit of Chekhov just beautifully, with oustanding performances from everyone involved.